UConn star Alex Karaban selected 29th overall in NBA draft

Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant on Jun 23, 2026

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Alex Karaban is headed to the Sacramento Kings after being selected 29th overall in the NBA draft Tuesday night.

The UConn captain and two-time national champion was selected just three picks after teammate Tarris Reed Jr. went to the San Antonio Spurs. He is the program’s 26th first round pick and 54th player drafted. The selection makes eight first round picks under coach Dan Hurley, who’s seen 11 of his UConn players drafted over eight seasons at the helm.

Karaban, a four-year starter, was the first active player inducted into the Huskies of Honor, and the Senior Day game after the ceremony proved why.

In the biggest moments, the captain came through. On that Saturday afternoon in Storrs, Conn., the Huskies were in another fight with Seton Hall. Karaban made a pair of 3-pointers to key UConn’s second half comeback and finished the game with five on his way to 23 points, three rebounds, two assists and two blocks in his final game at Gampel Pavilion.

The Southborough, Mass., native secured his third trip to the Final Four in four years with his basketball IQ on display when he pitched the ball back to Braylon Mullins to complete a 19-point comeback against Duke.

In addition to starting on a pair of national championship teams as a freshman and sophomore, Karaban finished his career as UConn’s all-time winningest player and its all-time 3-point leader, surpassing Rashad Anderson with 292 made triples. He scored 1,880 points (No. 6 all-time), grabbed 758 rebounds and had an 18-2 record across four NCAA Tournament appearances.

Karaban averaged 13.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 34.3 minutes per game in his senior season. He shot 46.4% from the field, 37.4% from beyond the arc and 85.1% from the free throw line.

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